Tuesday, March 28
Bethlehem, Pa.
3 p.m.
Lehigh University
vs
Villanova University
Photo by: Maria Bouchard
Mountain Hawks Set to Host Villanova in the First Round of the Liberty Bell Classic
3/27/2023 11:44:00 AM | Baseball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh baseball squad (11-13) is prepared to take on Villanova (3-19) in the first round of the Liberty Bell Classic tomorrow afternoon at J. David Walker Field and Legacy Park. The game is slated for 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Mountain Hawks are coming off an 0-5 week after dropping their midweek game against Penn, 7-4, in extra innings before being swept by Navy (15-1 and 3-2) and Bucknell (6-4 and 16-6), which opened Patriot League play. Sophomore Rafe Perich recorded nine hits with two RBIs and two runs scored while fifth-year Casey Rother produced eight hits with four doubles and an RBI. Junior Andrew Nole drove in four RBIs with his seven hits and a double while also scoring a run.
Sophomore Val Taddei threw 5.1 innings last week in two appearances in relief, allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits with six strikeouts. Junior Teddy Tolliver and sophomore Alex Bouchard each made a start for the Mountain Hawks this past week and tossed four innings apiece. Tolliver gave up one earned run with four hits and two strikeouts while Bouchard allowed three earned runs on four hits and struck out four.
Nole currently leads the Mountain Hawks with a batting average of .368 while sophomore Andrew Kohl is hitting .345 and has a team-high seven home runs with 23 RBIs. Junior Tyler Young is batting .333 with Perich leading the squad with 34 hits on the year and has eight doubles. Rother is just one hit away from reaching 200 career hits and has a .323 batting average with a team-high 11 doubles and 28 RBIs while also contributing six home runs. Fifth-year Joe Gorla is the last Mountain Hawk that is hitting over .300 with a .302 batting average and has four doubles and four homers.
Fifth-year pitcher Luke Rettig has thrown 24.2 innings this season and has a 4-1 record in six starts with an ERA of 1.85 and 29 strikeouts this season. He sits third all-time with 236 career strikeouts, just four away from moving into second all-time. Bouchard has also thrown over 20 innings, with 22 strikeouts in six starts and seven appearances while Tolliver has thrown 18 innings with 17 strikeouts in five starts and six appearances. First-year Shane O'Neill and senior Will Grisack have both tossed over 15 innings and made 10 appearances on the mound.
Villanova (3-19) is coming into Tuesday's game off a 1-3 week, falling to Bucknell 4-3 last Tuesday before winning the series opener against Iona, 8-4. The Wildcats then dropped the Sunday doubleheader with the Gaels 4-3 and 8-2.
Jack O'Reilly leads the team with a .296 batting average and 24 hits while scoring 12 runs, driving in 11 RBIs and hitting five homers. Cameron Hassert is hitting .292 with a team-high six home runs, 17 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Craig Larsen and AJ Hansen both are hitting over .240, with Larsen leading the Wildcats with seven doubles with 12 RBIs and Hansen with 17 hits, four doubles, a triple and a home run.
Villanova has four pitchers that have tossed 20 or more innings, with Devin Rivera throwing 29.1 innings in six starts and a 0-4 record and 15 strikeouts. Sal Fusco has hurled 24.2 innings of work with a team-leading 32 strikeouts in seven starts and a 0-4 record. Chic DeGaetano has thrown 233.2 innings of work in five starts and eight appearances with 29 strikeouts and a 1-3 record while Stephen Turzai has appeared in 13 games and tossed 20.2 innings with 23 Ks.
The Wildcats hold a 43-12 overall record against Lehigh and Villanova has won eight of the last 10 games between the two programs. The Mountain Hawks have lost the last two meetings, falling 8-6 in March of 2016 and 5-2 back in March of 2011. Lehigh's last victory was in the Liberty Bell Classic semifinal in 2010 when the Mountain Hawks won 4-3.
The Mountain Hawks are set to host Lafayette in The Rivalry sponsored by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute with a four-game series, starting on Friday, March 31 with a single game at 3 p.m. A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, with game one of the day beginning at 12 p.m. Lehigh closes out the series with a single game on Sunday, April 2 with first pitch at 12 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
The Mountain Hawks are coming off an 0-5 week after dropping their midweek game against Penn, 7-4, in extra innings before being swept by Navy (15-1 and 3-2) and Bucknell (6-4 and 16-6), which opened Patriot League play. Sophomore Rafe Perich recorded nine hits with two RBIs and two runs scored while fifth-year Casey Rother produced eight hits with four doubles and an RBI. Junior Andrew Nole drove in four RBIs with his seven hits and a double while also scoring a run.
Sophomore Val Taddei threw 5.1 innings last week in two appearances in relief, allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits with six strikeouts. Junior Teddy Tolliver and sophomore Alex Bouchard each made a start for the Mountain Hawks this past week and tossed four innings apiece. Tolliver gave up one earned run with four hits and two strikeouts while Bouchard allowed three earned runs on four hits and struck out four.
Nole currently leads the Mountain Hawks with a batting average of .368 while sophomore Andrew Kohl is hitting .345 and has a team-high seven home runs with 23 RBIs. Junior Tyler Young is batting .333 with Perich leading the squad with 34 hits on the year and has eight doubles. Rother is just one hit away from reaching 200 career hits and has a .323 batting average with a team-high 11 doubles and 28 RBIs while also contributing six home runs. Fifth-year Joe Gorla is the last Mountain Hawk that is hitting over .300 with a .302 batting average and has four doubles and four homers.
Fifth-year pitcher Luke Rettig has thrown 24.2 innings this season and has a 4-1 record in six starts with an ERA of 1.85 and 29 strikeouts this season. He sits third all-time with 236 career strikeouts, just four away from moving into second all-time. Bouchard has also thrown over 20 innings, with 22 strikeouts in six starts and seven appearances while Tolliver has thrown 18 innings with 17 strikeouts in five starts and six appearances. First-year Shane O'Neill and senior Will Grisack have both tossed over 15 innings and made 10 appearances on the mound.
Villanova (3-19) is coming into Tuesday's game off a 1-3 week, falling to Bucknell 4-3 last Tuesday before winning the series opener against Iona, 8-4. The Wildcats then dropped the Sunday doubleheader with the Gaels 4-3 and 8-2.
Jack O'Reilly leads the team with a .296 batting average and 24 hits while scoring 12 runs, driving in 11 RBIs and hitting five homers. Cameron Hassert is hitting .292 with a team-high six home runs, 17 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Craig Larsen and AJ Hansen both are hitting over .240, with Larsen leading the Wildcats with seven doubles with 12 RBIs and Hansen with 17 hits, four doubles, a triple and a home run.
Villanova has four pitchers that have tossed 20 or more innings, with Devin Rivera throwing 29.1 innings in six starts and a 0-4 record and 15 strikeouts. Sal Fusco has hurled 24.2 innings of work with a team-leading 32 strikeouts in seven starts and a 0-4 record. Chic DeGaetano has thrown 233.2 innings of work in five starts and eight appearances with 29 strikeouts and a 1-3 record while Stephen Turzai has appeared in 13 games and tossed 20.2 innings with 23 Ks.
The Wildcats hold a 43-12 overall record against Lehigh and Villanova has won eight of the last 10 games between the two programs. The Mountain Hawks have lost the last two meetings, falling 8-6 in March of 2016 and 5-2 back in March of 2011. Lehigh's last victory was in the Liberty Bell Classic semifinal in 2010 when the Mountain Hawks won 4-3.
The Mountain Hawks are set to host Lafayette in The Rivalry sponsored by Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute with a four-game series, starting on Friday, March 31 with a single game at 3 p.m. A doubleheader is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, with game one of the day beginning at 12 p.m. Lehigh closes out the series with a single game on Sunday, April 2 with first pitch at 12 p.m. All games will be streamed on ESPN+.
Like Lehigh Baseball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
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